Pitch preparation driven by commerce

ICC's pitch manager Andy Atkinson admits pitch preparation was driven by commerce these days while also saying that the art of Test match wicket preparation was getting lost in the age of ODIs and Twenty20 cricket.

"It's a fact of life that cricket can only survive and grow through finance, and much of that finance comes from revenue generated by broadcast and sponsorship revenue and attendances," he said.

"So if matches don't run the distance, that can hit clubs and boards in the pocket. That means there is always a balance necessary - you want the match to run its course, but you also want to give the batsmen and bowlers a fair chance to display their skills and excel," he told a cricket website.

Atkinson recalled his experience of preparing first pitch as the head groundsman when the match lasted only four days to explain his point.

"When my first Test as a head groundsman was completed in the last over of the fourth day, the very next morning I was invited to join the CEO in his office, where he told me that because my pitch did not produce five days' play, I had cost the club 150,000.

"I did have to mention in my own defence that not all of the wickets to fall were the fault of the pitch!" he said.

Atkinson reiterated his recent comment that there should be a balance between bat and ball on a Test wicket.

"I questioned whether the focus on batsman-friendly pitches for one-day cricket had perhaps caused the game to forget that Test cricket should be played on pitches that give a balance between bat and ball," he said.

"Having said that, I acknowledge this is not possible all of the time due to inclement weather during pitch preparation, but the thrust of that statement was that the groundsmen should try not to prepare a one-day type pitch that lasts for five days, which defeats the object of playing Test cricket."

Atkinon also denied there was an ICC instruction on preparation of matches.

"The ICC has not issued any such directive since my involvement with it began in 1999. It is also incorrect to say that the ICC wants to standardise pitches worldwide."

"The preparation of pitches for all Test matches and ODIs is a matter entirely for each individual home board to manage when they are staging a match or a series under their control.

"The ICC does have control of the preparation of pitches during its own tournaments such as the World Cup, the Champions Trophy etc. That covers not only the pitches but also outfields, on-site practice facilities and designated training venues in each city," he said.

Atkinson did not favour artificial pitches for international matches.

"The aim is to avoid pitches that produce standard conditions worldwide. The beauty of cricket is that every country has its own conditions. At present the technology does not provide any suitable replacement for grass pitches, and I doubt it will ever do," he said.